by Travis Sharp
On October 7, a House-Senate conference committee finalized the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The conference bill, which reconciles differences between the separate House- and Senate-passed bills, must now return to both houses for final approval before being submitted to President Obama for signature or veto. The House passed the conference bill on October 8. The Senate is expected to follow suit soon.
The conference bill authorizes $550.2 billion for the “050” national security budget (i.e. funding for DOD, nuclear weapons, and related defense activities) and $130 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, which adds up to $680.2 billion in total funding, the same amount requested by the Obama administration.
HIGHLIGHTS
Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction – Authorizes $424.1 million, $20 million above the administration’s request, for Nunn-Lugar. The conference’s increased level of funding is still less than the annual average during the Bush administration.
Missile Defense – Upholds the administration’s termination of the Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV), Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), and the second Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft; authorizes up to $309 million from FY 2009 and FY 2010 funds, including $23 million to increase the SM-3 missile inventory from 133 to 329, for the administration’s reconfigured European missile defense system so long as the Pentagon demonstrates that the system is operationally- and cost-effective.
F-22 Fighter Aircraft – Upholds the Senate’s decision not to include funding for procurement of additional F-22 fighters.
Joint Strike Fighter Alternate Engine – Adds $430 million in unrequested research and development funding and $130 million in unrequested procurement funding for the Alternate Engine.
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle – Authorizes $6.7 billion, $1.2 billion above the administration’s request, for the MRAP all-terrain variant in order to meet a requirement that has jumped from 2,080 to 6,466 vehicles and to “increase tactical mobility and maneuverability in Afghanistan.”
F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” Fighter – Adds both $512 million in unrequested FY 2010 procurement funding for 9 additional aircraft and $108 million for advance procurement beyond FY 2010.
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) – Agrees to Navy’s plan to conduct a “winner take all” competition for 2 ships in FY 2010 followed by a fixed-price block-buy of 2 ships per year over the next four years (i.e. 10 ships total over the next 5 years).
FUNDING PROVISIONS (Base Budget)
Total Funding (050)
Request: $550.2 billion
Conference: $550.2 billion
Personnel
Request: $136.0 billion
Conference: $136.0 billion
Operations & Maintenance
Request: $156.4 billion
Conference: $156.2 billion
Procurement
Request: $105.8 billion
Conference: $105.0 billion
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation
Request: $78.6 billion
Conference: $79.3 billion
Military Construction
Request: $13.1 billion
Conference: $13.7 billion
Military Housing
Request: $2.0 billion
Conference: $2.2 billion
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Implementation
Request: $7.9 billion
Conference: $8.0 billion
Other DOD & Related Agencies
Request: $33.9 billion
Conference: $34.0 billion
Department of Energy Nuclear Weapons-Related Activities
Request: $16.4 billion
Conference: $16.5 billion
MAJOR WEAPONS SYSTEMS (Procurement plus R&D)
Ballistic Missile Defense
Request: $9.3 billion
Conference: $9.3 billion
Aircraft
F/A-22 “Raptor” Fighter
Request: $1.0 billion (no new fighters)
Conference: $856.8 million (no new fighters)
Joint Strike Fighter
Request: $9.6 billion for 20 Navy and 10 Air Force aircraft
Conference: $9.96 billion for 20 Navy and 10 Air Force aircraft (Conference included $430 million in unrequested R&D funding and $130 million in unrequested procurement funding for the Alternate Engine)
F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” Fighter
Request: $1.2 billion for 9 aircraft
Conference: $1.8 billion for 18 aircraft (Conference added $512 million in unrequested procurement funding for 9 additional aircraft, as well as $108 million for advance procurement beyond FY 2010)
EA-18G Radar Jamming Aircraft
Request: $1.7 billion for 22 aircraft
Conference: $1.7 billion for 22 aircraft
V-22 “Osprey” Tilt-rotor
Request: $2.7 billion for 30 Navy and 5 Air Force aircraft
Conference: $2.8 billion for 30 Navy and 5 Air Force aircraft
C-17 Globemaster Transport Aircraft
Request: $250.4 million (no new aircraft)
Conference: $250.4 million (no new aircraft)
Shipbuilding
DDG-1000 “Zumwalt” Destroyer
Request: $1.1 billion to complete third and final vessel in the class
Conference: $1.1 billion to complete third and final vessel in the class
DDG-51 “Arleigh Burke” Destroyer
Request: $2.2 billion for 1 ship and advance procurement funding
Conference: $2.2 billion for 1 ship and advance procurement funding
LPD-17 “San Antonio” Amphibious Assault Ship
Request: $1.1 billion
Conference: $1.1 billion
SSN-774 “Virginia” Class Submarine
Request: $3.9 billion for 1 vessel and advance procurement for 2 vessels in FY 2011
Conference: $3.9 billion for 1 vessel and advance procurement for 2 vessels in FY 2011
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
Request: $1.7 billion for 3 ships
Conference: $1.7 billion for 2 ships (Conference agreed to Navy’s plan to conduct a “winner take all” competition for 2 ships in FY 2010 followed by a fixed-price block-buy of 2 ships per year over the next four years)
Army Programs
Stryker Armored Vehicle
Request: $388.6 million (procurement only)
Conference: $364.2 million (procurement only)
Future Combat Systems (FCS)
Request: $2.9 billion
Conference: $2.7 billion
UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter
Request: $1.4 billion for 79 aircraft
Conference: $1.4 billion for 79 aircraft
IRAQ-AFGHANISTAN BUDGET FUNDING PROVISIONS (Conference Only)
Total Funding: $130 billion
Personnel: $14.1 billion
Operations & Maintenance: $88.3 billion
Procurement: $23.9 billion
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation: $292.3 million
Military Construction: $1.4 billion
Other: $2.0 billion
SOURCES
House Press Release and Summary (October 7, 2009)
Senate Press Release and Summary (October 7, 2009)
Summary Funding Tables (October 7, 2009)
Conference Report 111-288 (October 7, 2009)
